I bought a Lowrance Elite 5 w/standard sonar and GPS. My first instinct is to buy the full size hobie fish finder installation kit. The only hesitation is that it is $106!! I have seen plenty of posts about other battery set ups. Please post pictures of your battery set ups, and why you went with the hobie or other aftermarket set up.

The FFII kit includes the 9ah Gell battery that has been made waterproof by potting the wire connections at the terminals, water proof wire connectors, charger, battery mount and transducer mount foam pads, Wire thru-hull fitting, additional water proof wire nuts, zip ties and marine Goop.

You can find cheaper batteries for sure, but not with all these features.

The new catalog includes a few really nice new options. Dealers will see that later today. Consumers by next week.

The FFII kit includes the 9ah Gell battery that has been made waterproof by potting the wire connections at the terminals, water proof wire connectors, charger, battery mount and transducer mount foam pads, Wire thru-hull fitting, additional water proof wire nuts, zip ties and marine Goop.

You can find cheaper batteries for sure, but not with all these features.

The new catalog includes a few really nice new options. Dealers will see that later today. Consumers by next week.

So are you saying it is worth waiting for these new features? Can we order direct from Hobie or do I have to go through my local kayak company?

Sounds great! I guess I will hold off until I get a look. Will there be an announcement about the new product? I am curious to know if it will be a whole new kit, pictures of the included parts and price.

I purchased a fire alarm system battery pretty cheaply on evilBay, installed it into a plastic snap-top box with foam padding, and just drop it into the hull when I need it. It lasts for days of use without needing a charge, and then only takes a few hours on a BatteryMinder charger to bring it back up.

I believe that Ram makes a mount for the Elite 5 - that would be a good way to secure the head-unit to the kayak because it eliminates having to use the factory base and any type of adapter-base mount (less nuts and bolts/cleaner install).

Then it is just a matter of routing the wires and making sure everything is water-tight...

Did you end up getting the Pro Angler? It should have a spot in the hull for a transducer...you'd just have to find a place to put the battery - you can use a dry-bag or a Pelican case for that. There's really no wrong way to do it

I believe that Ram makes a mount for the Elite 5 - that would be a good way to secure the head-unit to the kayak because it eliminates having to use the factory base and any type of adapter-base mount (less nuts and bolts/cleaner install).

Then it is just a matter of routing the wires and making sure everything is water-tight...

Did you end up getting the Pro Angler? It should have a spot in the hull for a transducer...you'd just have to find a place to put the battery - you can use a dry-bag or a Pelican case for that. There's really no wrong way to do it

I will end up getting the Ram mount for the head unit if I do not make something myself... I ended up getting an Outback. The battery placement and type of battery is the only thing I havent decided on yet. I am going to wait for the 2013 Hobie catalog to come out before I make any moves. I want to install the transducer in a scupper so that I get accurate temp readings. See thread below:

Will Hobie ever offer an install kit for a larger battery such as an 18aH or 26aH battery? Or even running 2- 8/9aH units in parallel? I believe many of us are out fishing for half a day at a time and when you get to some larger fish units that have a typical amperage draw of 1.1 amps per hour would drain a smaller battery in a hurry. Repeated use of the battery draining below half of it's charge capacity significantly diminishes the life expectancy of the batter. I think it would be great if hobie made a mold/brace to hold a larger battery in the middle hatch beneath the seat. Adding a fuse panel would also be wonderful considering many of us rig up a fish finder, lights, bilge pumps or other electronics. Another suggestions would also to offer a variety of weatherpack connector kits to assist with installing accessories in a weather resistant manner.